Life and career Thomas Dick (scientist)

1 life , career

1.1 life
1.2 education
1.3 writing career
1.4 later life
1.5 influence , legacy

life , career
early life

thomas brought in strict tenets of presbyterian united secession church of scotland, , father, mungo dick, small linen manufacturer, designed him own trade. appearance of brilliant meteor impressed him, when in ninth year, passion astronomy; read, when seated @ loom, every book on subject within reach; begged or borrowed old pair of spectacles, contrived machine grinding them proper shape, and, having mounted them in pasteboard tubes, began celestial observations. parents, @ first afflicted eccentricities, let him choose own lifestyle when sixteen years old.

education

dick became assistant @ school in dundee, , in 1794 entered university of edinburgh, supporting himself private tuition. philosophical , theological studies terminated, set school @ dundee, took out licence preach in 1801, , officiated probationer during years @ stirling , elsewhere. invitation patrons act teacher in secession school @ methven resulted in ten years residence there, distinguished efforts on part towards popular improvement, including zealous promotion of study of science, foundation of people s library, , substantially mechanic s institute. under name literary , philosophical societies, adapted middling , lower ranks of community, extension of such establishments recommended him in 5 papers published in monthly magazine in 1814; and, year or 2 later, society organised near london on principles there laid down, of elected honorary member.

as undergraduate, dick had several noteworthy classmates @ university of edinburgh including robert brown, joseph black , robert jameson.

writing career

on leaving methven, dick spent decade teacher @ perth, scotland. during interval made first independent appearance author. christian philosopher, or connexion of science , philosophy religion, published first during 1823. in work, among many other topics author computed solar system contained 21,891,974,404,480 (21+ trillion) inhabitants. several new editions published during next few years, eighth edition being published in glasgow during 1842. success determined author s vocation literature. gave school teaching in 1827, , built himself small cottage, fitted observatory , library, on hill overlooking tay @ broughty ferry, near dundee. here wrote number of works, scientific, philosophical, , religious, acquired prompt , wide popularity both in united kingdom , united states, , available on internet , in print.

an honorary degree of ll.d. conferred upon him in literary career union college, new york, , admitted royal astronomical society on 14 january 1853. paper on celestial day observations, giving results of series of observations on stars , planets in daytime small equatorial @ methven in 1812–1813, communicated him in 1855 monthly notices of royal astronomical society (xv. 222). had written on same subject forty-two years in william nicholson s journal of natural philosophy (xxxvi. 109).

later life

despite success of books, however, dick made such loose bargains publishers, derived little profits them, , poverty relieved in 1847 pension of 50 pounds year, , local subscription of 20 or 30 pounds. died @ age of eighty-two, on 29 july 1857, , buried @ broughty ferry.

influence , legacy

thomas dick s books enabled advances made scottish enlightenment in previous century flourish alongside victorian moral , religious thinking. influenced many scientists, engineers, politicians, writers , thinkers. instance david livingstone, inspired health care, education , end of slavery in central africa, regarded dick s philosophy of future state important influence after bible.

in 1851, mr. thomas met william wells brown, later describe dick abolitionist... willing world should know hates peculiar institution [of slavery] .